Some five years into the life of Afrika T, I now find myself unable to keep up with contributions at a level that I and you have come to expect from this blog. Partly this is because of other activities in responsible tourism (see example here, and another here), partly from other projects in sustainability (see examples here and here), and partly for reasons that are more personal.
I am certainly still active online and in responsible travel, so feel free to comment on existing posts here, to follow me on Twitter, and to note what I've been reading online via Delicious. I also hope to return to Afrika T, so am not bringing the blog to a halt, just declaring a hiatus of indefinite duration...
Thank you for your support over the years, and, if you're a newcomer to the site, may it still prove valuable.
Headed to Cape Town and wondering what to read beyond the first chapter of your Lonely Planet guide? Here are some good novels, poetry volumes and non-fiction that will introduce you to many voices that speak about the Mother City. Some will not be available outside of South Africa, but check university libraries and used book stores if the links below don't do the trick. This list doesn't include reading more relevant to all of South Africa, such as Michener's book The Covenant, or Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom.
Much talk and dreaming about pan-African issues has transpired over the past five decades and more, from Garveyism to Biko to Afrocentrism to Mbeki's "African Renaissance". Alas, the toothless OAU has given way to the toothless AU. It's little easier for Africans to travel between African countries than it ever was with visas, border crossings and the like. Xenophobic violence - not brotherhood - characterises many inter-African neighbourhoods in South Africa. And things don't seem to be much better at the northern end of the continent, in Algeria. (It seems we like the idea of pan-Africanism, it's just other Africans that we don't like?)
In July 2009, the Pan-African Cultural Festival was held in Algeria. Technically, it was the 2nd one, although the first was 40 years earlier. This was an AU-sponsored festival, I'm sure spurred by the current president of the AU, Muammar al-Gaddafi, brother leader for life of Libya, self-styled "King of Kings", and a devoted pan-Africanist (so long as he can be in charge, it seems, and the Berbers aren't included, but I digress).
Below is an interesting interview with Amandzeba Nat Brew, musician from Ghana and delegate to Panaf Alger 2009. He comments on the reception that black Africans were getting from their Algerian hosts, and responds with a spiritual message. I found it telling about the state of north-south African relationships - North Africa has ever been schizophrenic, culturally and ethnically aligned to the Arab Middle East, geographically and politically bound to Africa.
I've been enjoying the audio treats coming from Pan African Space Station with their month-long musical happening (12 September - 12 October). This is great material presented in a thoughtful, contemporary and relevant way, serious, fun and funky. The sound of 21st century Afroglobalism indeed.
If you aren't in Cape Town at the moment, I feel sorry for you, BUT you can still tune into the live audiostream any time.
It will be too late by the time most people read this, but here's tonight's line-up of musical and cultural treats - just to give a sample of what's been on offer for the past 2 weeks and what's still to come over the next 2. It just doesn't get much better than this for diversity, quality and soul.
The LIVE exploration of the Pan African Space Station (PASS) launched last night with a standing ovation for Bheki Khoza’s WAR CHORALE. PASS II journeys forth tonight with an astounding cast of internationally and locally renowned musicians.
Slave Church – 7-9pm
WANLOV THE KUBULOR In Accra's parlance a Kubolor is a rascal or truant; one who does not appear to be under parental control or guidance. Not since Fela Kuti, had any African artist been able to combine popular appeal, social consciousness and musical experimentation so successfully. And like Fela, Wanlov creates present-tense music, which blends Pidgin rap with Ghanaian folk music.
TOUMANI DIABATE Kora maestro Toumani Diabate mediates traditions inherited from Mali's ancient Mande Empire through globetrotting jazz, blues and electro frequencies. A lifelong Bamako resident, Diabate rose to global acclaim almost 20 years ago when he recorded the world's first solo kora album Kaira. Since then his career has been characterised by a fierce refusal to erect a line between an ancient locality and a modern cosmopolis.
Centre For The Book – 9pm-11pm
UDABA Udaba’s politically engaged elegies fuse vernacular lyricism, Xhosa praise singing and African indigenous music on jam-like sets with a rotating crew of regular collaborators. Udaba draw their inspiration from Xhosa literature and refer to their music as Umculo Buciko (musical essays). For PASS they collaborate with spoken-word author and filmmaker Kgafela oa Magogodi. A charged thinker and a consummate live performer, Magogodi has presented his work worldwide, and recently released his second CD, titled Bua Fela.
FRANCK BIYONG & MASSAK Cameroonian composer and producer Franck Biyong operates outside the boundaries that map the trajectories of African musicians in and out of the continent. Although he formed Massak in 1997 as an Afrobeat ensemble-tribute to the legendary Africa 70 and Egypt 80, Biyong used the band as a platform to project the music forward - a sound he called "Afrolectric".
All Nations – 10pm-4am FONG KONG BANTU SOUNDSYSTEM The Fong Kong Bantu Sound System sell black market identities, the kind of consciousness you can't get on hi-rotation music TV. The collective had its beginnings when a number of Cape Town's oldest underground DJs - Liberation Juju, Dubmasta China, Boeta-G, RealRozzano and Ntone Edjabe - came together to breathe change into the city's tired club scene.
DJ ANDY WILLIAMS In Montreal, where he lives, they call world-renowned groove tastemaker, DJ Andy Williams, "The Teacher", for his ability to both educate and motivate a dance floor. The founder of the popular "The Goods" party and radio show, 46-year-old Williams is also a respected Afro-jazz archaeologist. In 2008 he released an acclaimed compilation of cross-generational jazz and spoken work titled Variations in Time: a jazz perspective.
? Here are some good novels, poetry volumes and non-fiction that will introduce you to many voices that speak about the Mother City. Some will not be available outside of South Africa, but check university libraries and used book stores if the links below don't do the trick. This list doesn't include reading more relevant to all of South Africa, such as Michener's book The Covenant
, or Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom
.(JM Coetzee)
(JM Coetzee)
(Lauren Beukes)
(Zoe Wicomb)
(Richard Rive)
(Finuala Dowling)
(Finuala Dowling)
(Ashraf Jamal)
(Margie Orford)
(Andrew Brown)
(Deon Meyer)
(Deon Meyer)
(Mike Nicol)
(Dawn Garisch)
(Tracey Farren)
(Sindiwe Magona)
(Sindiwe Magona)
(Gerald Kraak)
(Mark Behr)
(Henrietta Rose-Innes)
(Thomas Pynchon)
(Russel Brownlee)
(Bryan Rostron)
(Michiel Heyns)
(Patricia Schonstein)
(Patricia Schonstein)
(Helen Moffett)
(Gus Ferguson and Ingrid de Kok, eds.) - poetry
(Stephen Watson) - poetry
(Rayda Jacobs) - memoir
(Pregs Govender) - memoir
(Sindiwe Magona) - autobiography
(Noel Mostert) – non-fiction
(Nigel Worden et al) – non-fiction
(Vivian Bickford-Smith et al) – non-fiction
(Stephen Watson, ed.) – non-fiction
(John Compton) – non-fiction
(Nicolaas Vergunst, ed) – non-fiction (exhibition catalogue)
(Rassool and Prosalendis) – non-fiction
(Jonny Steinberg) – non-fiction
